So I was saved as a child in a small Baptist church and shortly after that step, I took my next with baptism. I knew what the importance of baptism was but had no idea of what it actually meant to my life and walk with Christ.
Before I came on the race, I was attending a church service and the preacher was speaking about baptism. He showed us that baptism through out the bible is always by immersion after salvation and it is an outward expression of an inward change. I told myself that I was good because I had already been baptized. I knew I had been baptized but the more I thought about it, I felt like I needed to be baptized again because it did not mean anything before.
The Holy Spirit was pressing me to get baptized again as a sign of my inward change and to show I have been washed by his mercy and grace; not as a sign to others but to myself. I looked at The Great Commission where Jesus calls us to go to all nations preaching the good news and to baptize all people in his name. But how could I baptize people if I had not been baptized just as I could not lead someone into salvation without first being saved.
They closed the service telling us that anyone who wanted to be baptized could do it tonight. I went outside to watch all the others be baptized and I talked myself out of it. I walked to my car and drove home still knowing I was supposed to get baptized. I told God that if He ever gave me another opportunity I would take it no matter what.
So I come into month 2 and I find out that we are right on the Pacific Ocean. The first night our contact was talking about having a baptism service at the end of the month for anyone that wanted to get baptized and God clearly spoke to me, “Here is your chance.” So I planned to get baptized.
We make it to the end of the month and the whole squad is standing on the beach as four people, including myself, had made the decision to take our next step with baptism. Up first, my teammate tells us about why she wanted to be baptized and she went into the ocean to be baptized. No problem whatsoever: went in, got dunked, and came out. So I am up next. I tell everyone about God leading me to get baptized before the race and how I did not and this was God giving me another chance.
Just a little info, I do not like the the ocean. I do enjoy setting under an umbrella with my toes in the sand reading a good book but I NEVER ever get in the water. Under any circumstance.
So I go out with my squad leader into the cold Pacific Ocean. As I get just about to the break of the waves my feet lose their hold and I wipe out. I was rolling in the water trying to figure out which way was up. Just as I recovered and got back to a vertical position in the water, it happens again; wiped out and tossed by the waves like a rag doll.
I regain composure and was joking around with my squad leader saying Jesus must really want me to get baptized because I think I’ve been under a few times and we are not done. We both try to jump over another wave and not to my surprise, I go under again. By this time, I had no choice but to laugh. I finally make it back to my feet and get past the break of the waves to meet my squad leader. We both cannot even keep a straight face but the show must go on. He asked me who my Lord and Savior is and by that profession he baptized me. We made it out of the water safely with no major hiccups.
As funny and as crazy as this story maybe, there is so much to learn from it. My Father wanted nothing more than for me to take the next step with him and he loves me enough to give me another opportunity to take it. He really is a God of second chances. So it makes me ask the question of you: what is your next step that God is leading you to? What is he leading you to that would draw you closer to him? Whatever that may be, I encourage you to take that step.
I know this water looks peaceful but don’t let it fool you, just a good photographer at the right moment.
